Will Rowlett chart a new course?

Manatee district should strive to keep magnet school in the system

Rowlett Elementary, a magnet school, specializes in the arts. School leaders
and parents are said to be weighing charter school status.

HERALD-TRIBUNE ARCHIVE

Published: Sunday, May 12, 2013 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 10, 2013 at 7:32 p.m.

The last thing the embattled Manatee County School District needs is for one of its premier schools, Rowlett Magnet Elementary, to leave the fold.

Yet last week, it was reported that some school leaders and parents of students want to consider charter school status for Rowlett.

Under Florida law, charter schools are a public-private hybrid. They are operated by their own governing boards but are subject to oversight -- albeit minimal -- by the county school district. Charter schools are granted substantially more authority and flexibility than conventional public schools in Florida.

The existing charter schools in Manatee have been created from scratch; if Rowlett went to a charter, it would be the first conversion. State law provides that Rowlett could be converted to a charter if a majority the school's teachers and students' households voted in favor.

Charter schools in Florida receive state funding based on their student enrollment and pay a 5 percent administrative fee to the school district.

District has serious problems

No one should blame the staff and parents of students at Rowlett for considering this option. The Manatee district has serious financial and management problems that are directly affecting finances and operations at the school level. A new superintendent is in place and he is making necessary, sweeping changes in management, but the outcomes are uncertain -- and there is an emerging sense at Rowlett that its success should no longer be tied to the district's fortunes.

The staff and parents at Rowlett are entitled to protect their interests and, especially, those of the pupils who attend the school, which has a curriculum that emphasizes the performing arts and communication.

Charter status would be preferable to privatization but, even then, the conversion would be a blow to the school district. It would underscore a lack of confidence in the system when it most needs to gain public support.

Rowlett's success can be measured in several ways. It is currently graded as an "A" school and has received that mark or a B during each of the past five years. Rowlett was established as a magnet school, 13 years ago, with the goal of using the arts to attract pupils and parents to the campus -- located in an area surrounded by middle- and low-income families.

The school has attracted pupils from a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds and developed a strong base of parental and community support. Rowlett's emphasis on the arts -- it has teachers dedicated to music, drama, dance, visual art and technology -- has more than filled a niche; it is the most frequently requested elementary school in the district's choice program.

The conversion debate is being driven by a number of factors, including the district's financial condition, but the greatest concern appears to be Rowlett's ability to maintain its status as an arts-focused school.

School-level innovation

The administration and School Board have an obligation to treat all schools fairly. What's more, Rick Mills, the new superintendent, has made the compelling case that the district's administration and schools must align their priorities and focus on common aspects of the curriculum.

But Rowlett has demonstrated that school-level innovation can produce positive results. To that end, and despite its many other challenges, the district should take all reasonable steps to ensure that Rowlett can maintain its focus, so long as it continues to meet overarching goals.

The Manatee district should not give Rowlett special treatment unavailable to other schools, but it also cannot afford the perception of a successful school -- and its teachers, parents and pupils -- jumping a sinking ship.

<p>The last thing the embattled Manatee County School District needs is for one of its premier schools, Rowlett Magnet Elementary, to leave the fold.</p><p>Yet last week, it was reported that some school leaders and parents of students want to consider charter school status for Rowlett.</p><p>Under Florida law, charter schools are a public-private hybrid. They are operated by their own governing boards but are subject to oversight -- albeit minimal -- by the county school district. Charter schools are granted substantially more authority and flexibility than conventional public schools in Florida.</p><p>The existing charter schools in Manatee have been created from scratch; if Rowlett went to a charter, it would be the first conversion. State law provides that Rowlett could be converted to a charter if a majority the school's teachers and students' households voted in favor.</p><p>Charter schools in Florida receive state funding based on their student enrollment and pay a 5 percent administrative fee to the school district.</p><p>District has serious problems</p><p>No one should blame the staff and parents of students at Rowlett for considering this option. The Manatee district has serious financial and management problems that are directly affecting finances and operations at the school level. A new superintendent is in place and he is making necessary, sweeping changes in management, but the outcomes are uncertain -- and there is an emerging sense at Rowlett that its success should no longer be tied to the district's fortunes.</p><p>The staff and parents at Rowlett are entitled to protect their interests and, especially, those of the pupils who attend the school, which has a curriculum that emphasizes the performing arts and communication.</p><p>Charter status would be preferable to privatization but, even then, the conversion would be a blow to the school district. It would underscore a lack of confidence in the system when it most needs to gain public support.</p><p>Rowlett's success can be measured in several ways. It is currently graded as an "A" school and has received that mark or a B during each of the past five years. Rowlett was established as a magnet school, 13 years ago, with the goal of using the arts to attract pupils and parents to the campus -- located in an area surrounded by middle- and low-income families.</p><p>The school has attracted pupils from a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds and developed a strong base of parental and community support. Rowlett's emphasis on the arts -- it has teachers dedicated to music, drama, dance, visual art and technology -- has more than filled a niche; it is the most frequently requested elementary school in the district's choice program.</p><p>The conversion debate is being driven by a number of factors, including the district's financial condition, but the greatest concern appears to be Rowlett's ability to maintain its status as an arts-focused school.</p><p>School-level innovation</p><p>The administration and School Board have an obligation to treat all schools fairly. What's more, Rick Mills, the new superintendent, has made the compelling case that the district's administration and schools must align their priorities and focus on common aspects of the curriculum.</p><p>But Rowlett has demonstrated that school-level innovation can produce positive results. To that end, and despite its many other challenges, the district should take all reasonable steps to ensure that Rowlett can maintain its focus, so long as it continues to meet overarching goals.</p><p>The Manatee district should not give Rowlett special treatment unavailable to other schools, but it also cannot afford the perception of a successful school -- and its teachers, parents and pupils -- jumping a sinking ship.</p>